UC Berkeley Partners With Blockchain Startup For Health Data Research

The University of California, Berkeley is working with blockchain startup Bitmark on a pair of research studies focused on secure data sharing.

Centered on public health and medical information, the two research projects will be funded by Bitmark. The project comes months after Bitmark raised $1.7m in funding, drawn from a group that included Cherubic Ventures and Digital Currency Group, among others.

In one, study participants will contribute data about their diabetes remission using Bitmark’s tech. A second study will focus on whether the availability of solutions based on the technology would encourage more involvement from test subjects that are contributing personal health data.

A statement from the school reads:

“The School of Public Health at UC Berkeley is excited to partner with Bitmark Inc on this research fellowship. It is a great opportunity for our young researchers to gain valuable hands-on experience at the intersection of public health and technology.”

That UC Berkeley would undertake a pair of blockchain-based projects is perhaps unsurprising, as the school is home to a student-run organization centered on blockchain development.

However, the announcement comes amid an uptick in interest in blockchain technology at major universities, with some academics reporting that training students for opportunities in the sector is almost impossible given its rate of change.

Disclosure: CoinDesk is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which has an ownership stake in Bitmark.